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(NOTE: Wilmington has EIGHT Dunkin’ Donuts locations — 195 Main Street, 321 Main Street, 586 Main Street, 357 Middlesex Avenue, 66 Concord Street, 211 Lowell Street, 316 Lowell Street, and 206 Ballardvale Street.)CANTON, MA — Dunkin’ will once again celebrate Veterans Day with a sweet salute to those who serve our country. On Sunday, November 11, at participating Dunkin’ restaurants nationwide, veterans and active duty military are eligible to receive a free donut of their choice with no purchase necessary. (While supplies last. Limit one per customer.) This is part of the brand’s ongoing efforts to show its support and appreciation for those who serve.“Dunkin’ has a long and proud history of recognizing U.S. veterans and active duty military year-round for their selfless sacrifice and commitment to keeping our country safe,” said Tony Weisman, Chief Marketing Officer, Dunkin’ U.S. “On behalf of our franchisees, several of whom are veterans themselves, we are proud to express our appreciation and gratitude to these brave and heroic men and women in Dunkin’ restaurants this Veterans Day.”Dunkin’ is honored to serve veterans and active duty military at its restaurants, including at 44 military locations on bases around the world. Additionally, through the Dunkin’ Coffee for Our Troops program, the company has donated more than 300,000 pounds of coffee to troops deployed overseas. Under the program, each week the company sends a case of coffee to deployed troops based on recommendations from friends, family members or troops themselves. Since 2003, the brand has sent 10 cases of coffee each week.Fans who wish to submit the name of a deployed member of the United States armed forces can do so at https://www.dunkindonuts.com/en/about/contact-us/military-coffee-request. Dunkin’ will surprise some of these members with a case of the brand’s ground Original Blend Coffee.Dunkin’ has been serving guests its signature donuts for more than 68 years. Dunkin’ is the #1 retailer of donuts in America, and sells more than 2.9 billion donuts and MUNCHKINS® donut hole treats annually worldwide. Within the United States, Dunkin’ offers beloved flavors such as Boston Kreme, Glazed, Chocolate Glazed Cake and Chocolate Frosted, as well as fun seasonal varieties, including the fall favorite Pumpkin Spice Donut.To learn more about Dunkin’, visit http://www.DunkinDonuts.com or subscribe to the Dunkin’ blog to receive notifications at https://news.dunkindonuts.com/blog.About Dunkin’Founded in 1950, Dunkin’ is America’s favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin’ is a market leader in the hot regular/decaf/flavored coffee, iced regular/decaf/flavored coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories. Dunkin’ has earned a No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for 12 years running. The company has more than 12,700 restaurants in 43 countries worldwide. Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin’ is part of the Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) family of companies. For more information, visit http://www.DunkinDonuts.com.(NOTE: The above press release is from Dunkin’.)Like Wilmington Apple on Facebook. Follow Wilmington Apple on Twitter. Follow Wilmington Apple on Instagram. Subscribe to Wilmington Apple’s daily email newsletter HERE. Got a comment, question, photo, press release, or news tip? Email wilmingtonapple@gmail.com.Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading… RelatedWilmington’s Dunkin’ Donuts To Salute Veterans With Free Donut On Veterans DayIn “Business”Dunkin’s Pumpkin Menu To Arrive In Wilmington By August 21In “Business”SIP, PEEL, WIN! Dunkin’ Donuts Introduces New Peel & Reveal On-Cup ProgramIn “Business”read more

Tags Comments Share your voice Facebook Mobile Tech Industry 10 Now playing: Watch this: Facebook is putting women on the front line of its war… 4:06 Staff sit at computers inside a Facebook content moderation center in Berlin. Soeren Stache/Getty Images Some of the workers saw video of a man being stabbed to death. Others viewed acts of bestiality or animals being tortured. Suicides and beheadings popped up too.The reason for watching the gruesome content: to determine whether it should be pulled from Facebook before more members of the world’s largest social network could see it.Content moderators protect Facebook’s 2.3 billion users from exposure to humanity’s darkest impulses. Scouring posts that’ve been flagged by other members of the social network or by the Silicon Valley giant’s artificial intelligence tools, they quickly decide what stays up and what comes down. But reviewing the posts comes with a cost. Constant exposure to violence, hatred and sordid acts can wreak havoc on a person’s mental health. Former content moderators have already filed a lawsuit against Facebook in which they say repeated exposure to violent images caused psychological trauma. There’s a reason being a content moderator has been called “the worst job in technology.”It’s also an important job, and one that isn’t handled by Facebook employees. Instead, it’s outsourced to contractors, some of whom turn to drugs and sex in the workplace to distract themselves from the abhorrent images they see every day, according to a February story in The Verge, which reported that some of the workers make as little as $28,800 per year. That’s just over the federal poverty level for a family of four. Facebook said in May that it plans to raise the minimum hourly wage for contract workers, which is currently $15 per hour. Details of the working conditions of content moderators are still coming out. On Wednesday, The Verge reported that a content moderator who worked at a site in Florida operated by Cognizant died after having a heart attack at his desk. The site in Tampa was reportedly a stressful, dirty and unhealthy environment. Cognizant says that it works to “ensure a safe, clean, and supportive work environment.”Contracting in the tech industry has reached a flashpoint, escalating tensions in Silicon Valley’s world of haves and have-nots. Contractors and temps don’t get the health care or retirement benefits that full-time employees do, a difference that hasn’t gone unnoticed. Last year, contract workers at Google protested, demanding higher wages and benefits.Facebook said Wednesday it works with its contractors “to provide a level of support and compensation that leads the industry.” The social media giant also said its thoughts go out to family, friends and co-workers of the deceased moderator.”There will inevitably be employee challenges or dissatisfaction that call our commitment to this work and our partners’ employees into question,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. “When the circumstances warrant action on the part of management, we make sure it happens.”Here’s a look at five of the companies that have worked with Facebook to police content.CognizantA multinational provider of services to technology, finance, health care, retail and other companies, Cognizant offers services including app development, consulting, information technology and digital strategy.Based in Teaneck, New Jersey, Cognizant has roughly 281,600 employees around the world, according to its annual report. Nearly 70 percent of its workforce is in India.The company’s role in supporting Facebook’s content moderation activities was the subject of recent stories in The Verge, which reported that roughly 1,000 Cognizant employees at its Phoenix office evaluate posts for potentially violating Facebook rules against hate speech, violence and terrorism. Cognizant Technology Solutions office in Chennai, India. The company works with Facebook on content moderation. Madhu Kapparath/Getty Images The workers get two 15-minute breaks, a 30-minute lunch and nine minutes of “wellness time” per day. They also have access to counselors and a hotline, according to the report.Still, some workers said that constant exposure to depravity has taken its toll. One former content moderator said he started to believe conspiracy theories, such as 9/11 being a hoax, after reviewing videos promoting the idea that the terrorist attack was faked. The former employee said he had brought a gun to work because he feared that fired employees would return to the office to harm those who still had jobs. Cognizant said in February it looked into “specific workplace issues raised in a recent report,” that it had “previously taken action where necessary” and that it has “steps in place to continue to address these concerns and any others raised by our employees.”The company outlined the resources it offers employees, including wellness classes, counselors and a 24-hour hotline.Cognizant also runs a site in Tampa, Florida that employs about 800 workers, according to The Verge. Workers at that facility have filed two sexual harassment complaints against coworkers since April. “Like any large employer, Cognizant routinely and professionally responds to and addresses general workplace and personnel issues in its facilities,” Cognizant said in a statement on Wednesday. “Our Tampa facility is no different. Cognizant works hard to ensure a safe, clean, and supportive work environment for all of our associates.”PRO UnlimitedBased in Boca Raton, Florida, PRO Unlimited provides services and software used by clients in more than 90 countries. Last year, Selena Scola, a former PRO Unlimited employee, who worked as a Facebook content moderator, filed a lawsuit alleging that she suffered from psychological trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder caused by viewing thousands of disturbing images of violence. Scola’s PTSD symptoms can pop up when she hears loud noises or touches a computer mouse, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit was amended to include two more former content moderators who worked at Facebook through staffing companies. “Her symptoms are also triggered when she recalls or describes graphic imagery she was exposed to as a content moderator,” the lawsuit states, referring to Scola.Filed in superior court in Northern California’s San Mateo County, the lawsuit alleges Facebook violated California law by creating dangerous working conditions. Facebook content moderators are asked to review more than 10 million posts per week that may violate the social network’s rules, according to the lawsuit, which seeks class-action status.At the time the original lawsuit was filed, Facebook acknowledged the work can be stressful and said it requires the company it works with for content moderation to provide support such as counseling and relaxation areas.Facebook in a court filing denied Scola’s allegations and called for the case to be dismissed. A Facebook spokeswoman said the social media giant no longer uses PRO Unlimited for content moderation. PRO Unlimited didn’t respond to a request for comment.AccentureOne of the most prestigious consultancies in the world, Dublin-based Accenture has more than 459,000 people serving clients across 40 industries and in more than 120 countries, according to its website.People enter an Accenture office in downtown Helsinki. Jussi Nukari/Getty Images In February, Facebook content reviewers at an Accenture facility in Austin, Texas, complained about a “Big Brother” environment, alleging they weren’t allowed to use their phones at their desk or take “wellness” breaks during the first and last hour of their shift, according to a memo obtained by Business Insider. “Despite our pride in our work, Content Moderators have a secondary status in [the] hierarchy of the workplace, both within the Facebook and the Accenture structure,” the memo read. Accenture didn’t respond to a request for comment. At the time, Facebook said there had been a “misunderstanding” and that content moderators are encouraged to take wellness breaks at any time throughout the day. Some of Accenture’s clients have included other tech giants such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon. More than three-quarters of Fortune Global 500 companies work with Accenture. ArvatoOne of Facebook’s largest content moderation centers is in Germany, a country that started enforcing a strict hate speech law last year that would fine social media companies up to 50 million euros ($58 million) if they didn’t pull down hate speech and other offensive content quickly enough. Arvato, owned by the German media company Bertelsmann, runs a content moderation center in Berlin. The company has faced complaints about working conditions and the toll the job takes on workers’ mental health.In 2017, Arvato said in a statement that it takes the well-being of its employees seriously and provides health care and access to company doctors, psychologists and social services. The company, based in Gütersloh, Germany, has 70,000 employees in more than 40 countries. It’s been providing Facebook with content moderation services since 2015. Arvato, which was rebranded last week as Majorel, said it offers content moderators a salary that’s 20 percent above minimum wage and support such as wellness classes and counselors. Workers can also take “resiliency breaks” at any time of the day.”We are proud to be a partner of Facebook and work in alignment with them to offer a competitive compensation package that includes a comprehensive benefits package,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “We will continue to work together to improve our offerings and support of our employees.” GenpactNew York-based professional services firm Genpact won a contract with Facebook last year to provide content moderation, according to The Economic Times.Concerns about the mental health of Facebook content moderators weren’t enough to scare off applicants in India, who flocked to jobs that paid between 225,000 and 400,000 rupees a year (about $3,150-$5,600). Genpact was searching for content moderators fluent in Tamil, Punjabi and other Indian languages.Some Genpact workers have complained about low pay and a stressful work environment, according to a report this week by Reuters. One former Genpact employee told the news outlet that at least three times he’s “seen women employees breaking down on the floor, reliving the trauma of watching suicides real-time.”Facebook pushed back against allegations of low pay but outlined the work it was doing to improve working conditions for content moderators. In an email, a Genpact spokesperson confirmed that it partners with Facebook but said it doesn’t comment on work with clients. “As a company we bring our extensive experience in the field of content review and operations to our partners by providing industry-leading support for our team of content reviewers and a best-in-class working environment,” the Genpact spokesperson said in a statement. “We take very seriously this work and the services that we provide to our clients.”First published on March 1 at 4:00 a.m. PTUpdate, 4:03 p.m. PT: Includes new material from Facebook about PRO Unlimited. Update, 5:24 p.m. PT: Includes material about an amended lawsuit against Facebook.Update, June 19: Includes new reported details of a Cognizant facility in Tampa, Florida. read more

Cutlery18%12% The GST tax structure for various services has been devised under four broad slabs — 5, 12, 18 and 28 percent — along with a cess on luxury and demerit goods such as tobacco, pan masala and aerated drinks.The GST plan envisages that the Centre compensate the states for revenue losses from abolition of taxes like the VAT (value added tax), octroi and implementation of GST. The compensation from the Centre to the states will be met through levy of a ‘GST Compensation Cess’ on luxury items and goods like tobacco, during the first five years of implementation of the GST regime.Filing limits raisedJaitley said that the limit under the GST Composition Scheme has been raised to Rs 75 lakh. Taxpayers coming under this scheme will be required to file summarized returns on a quarterly basis, instead of three monthly returns. Under the scheme, a registered taxpayer will pay tax at a rate not more than 1 percent for manufacturers, 2.5 percent for restaurants and 0.5 percent for other traders.The GST Composition Scheme was introduced under GST law to lower the burden of compliance for small businesses, where assessees have to pay tax at a minimum rate based on their turnover. This is similar to the provisions in VAT law. Any assessee who deals only in supply of goods can opt for this scheme, which means this provision is not applicable for service providers. However, restaurant service providers are excluded.Only businesses participating in intra-state supply of goods are eligible to enter the GST Composition Scheme.Most services, except those in the negative list of essential services such as healthcare and education, are expected to come under GST. Exercise books28%12% School bags28%18% Plastic tarpaulin28%18% Pre-cast concrete pipes28%18% Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has revised tax rates levied on 66 items under the GST scheme to be rolled out on July 1. In this file photo, he addresses a GST Council meeting held in Srinagar last month.IANSMoving to placate key sectors of the industry which have raised concerns about the high rates of taxes under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime eating into their operational viability, the GST Council on Sunday announced that it is revising the GST rate on 66 categories of goods and services.Addressing a press conference after the 16th GST Council meeting, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the reductions were based on the two major principles of maintaining equivalence and the change in utilisation behavior.The Council’s move is expected to come as a relief to small and medium enterprises in trading and manufacturing as well as restaurants. Under the revised tax rate scheme, packaged food like vegetables, pickles and sauces, as well as dental wax, insulin, agarbattis, school bags, exercise and colouring books for children, cutlery and computer printers will be cheaper by 6-10 per cent (see chart).The new tax rates proposed for goods and services under the GST rollout planned for July 1 are expected to come bundled with a range of cesses on luxury and premium goods as well as on tobacco and high-end liquors.The Finance Ministry tweeted on Sunday that it had received representations for about 133 items, out of which rates have been reduced on 66 items.Cinema gets a breatherBesides, reductions will be carried out on two categories of GST rates which were planned to be imposed on cinema-goers – 28 per cent tax will be levied on tickets priced at above Rs 100 and 18 percent on tickets costing up to Rs 100.This notwithstanding, single-screen cinemas are likely to be hit the hardest by the proposed 28 percent tax rate.Jaitley later said on the Twitter handle of the Union Ministry of Finance that the new concessions would come at the cost of revenues. “FM @arunjaitley said that rates on goods decided today would make the goods cheaper for common man but may cost to revenue of Govt,” the finance ministry tweeted.For workers in industries like textiles and diamond processing where the workers take their work home, tax rate will be revised to 5 percent from the 18 percent currently being charged. This is owing to GST for these sectors being revised as well.Till date, the GST Council has fixed rates of more than 1,200 goods and 500 services. Last Saturday, it finalised rates for a few contentious goods such as gold and jewellery, agricultural implements, biscuits, footwear and textiles.A few of the items on which tax rates were revised at Sunday’s GST Council meeting:ItemsItemsOld rateOld rateNew or revised rateNew or revised rateItemsPackaged goods (vegetables, pickles, sauces)Old rate18%New or revised rate12%ItemsCashewOld rate12%New or revised rate5%ItemsAgarbattiOld rate12%New or revised rate5%ItemsDental waxOld rate28%New or revised rate8%ItemsInsulinOld rate12%New or revised rate5%ItemsPlastic beadsOld rate28%New or revised rate18%ItemsPlastic tarpaulinOld rate28%New or revised rate18%ItemsSchool bagsOld rate28%New or revised rate18%ItemsExercise booksOld rate28%New or revised rate12%ItemsColouring booksOld rate12%New or revised rateNilItemsPre-cast concrete pipesOld rate28%New or revised rate18%ItemsCutleryOld rate18%New or revised rate12%ItemsTractor componentsOld rate28%New or revised rate18%ItemsComputer printersOld rate28%New or revised rate18% Plastic beads28%18% Colouring books12%Nil Computer printers28%18% Packaged goods (vegetables, pickles, sauces)18%12% Cashew12%5% Dental wax28%8% Insulin12%5% Tractor components28%18% Agarbatti12%5% ItemsOld rateNew or revised rateread more

Obaidul QuaderRuling Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said that the prime minister sent a letter to Kamal Hossain inviting dialogue with an interest of continuation of the democratic trend, reports UNB.The dialogue will be held with the Awami League, not with the government, said Obaidul, also the road transport and bridges minister.”Awami League will finalise the list who will attend the dialogue after getting the list from Jatiya Oikya Front,” said Qauder while talking to reporters at the Secretariat.Earlier in the morning, prime minister Sheikh Hasina invited Jatiya Oikya Front to join the dialogue with her party at 7:00pm on Thursday at Ganobhaban.Responding to a question, the minister said the dialogue is not being arranged over any pressure.”We welcome them as they want to discuss their seven-point demand and 11 goals with us,” said Quader.The Election Commission will decide about accepting their demands and the court will decide on some other issues, he added.”There is no chance of any non-registered party to participate in the dialogue. We are not sitting with the BNP, but with Oikya Front and expecting all the problems will be solved on the dialogue table,” said the minister.As they mentioned their seven-point demand and 11 goals in the letter, so there is no chance of denying their demands, said Quader adding “The discussion will be held on the table.””This newly formed cabinet will be the election-time government and the election will be held under the election commission, not under the government,” he said.There is a possibility that the size of newly formed government will be same as the present one, he said adding, “New faces may be added or not.”read more

Margaret DeMan Armstrong (Courtesy photo)Margaret DeMan Armstrong, a Baltimore icon known for her groundbreaking contributions to the arts and education, died in her sleep on July 19, at Brookdale Assisted Living in Towson, Maryland. She often mentioned her goal of reaching 100-years-old. In January she celebrated that goal with family and friends at her residence.Armstrong was born January 30, 1916 in Baltimore to the late Claudia Thomas DeMan and the late Henry Oliver DeMan. She was a devout Catholic throughout her life and a parishioner of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. She studied the piano at an early age and demonstrated a unique talent, a love for playing, and an overall love of music.She was a Douglass High School graduate and completed her college education at Coppin Normal School. She later earned a master’s degree in History and Philosophy of Education from Loyola College. She began her career as a music education teacher in Baltimore City Schools and was shortly promoted to administrative specialist for the Music Division for the Baltimore City Department of Education. She also served as a program consultant with the Federal Housing and Urban Development Agency and as the Coordinator of Cultural Enrichment with the Department of Education.Three sons, William Oscar, Roderick, and Carroll Robbins, were born from her marriage to William Oscar Armstrong, Jr., deceased.Armstrong used her creativity, positions, and influence to change the face of the arts in Maryland and across the country. She created a performing arts curriculum proposal and a cultural arts workshop proposal, both successfully and widely implemented. She also created and implemented a cultural enrichment program that combined the arts and humanities through a series of experiences performed by professional musicians, actors, artists, and dancers.Her love of the arts, and her continued determination to encourage and support artistic talent in Baltimore City’s youth, resulted in her bringing together a group of business leaders, leaders in the arts, and education representatives, to draft the fundamental proposal for the Baltimore School for the Arts. It opened in 1979 and has graduated many students who are now nationally known for their talents. The annual “Armstrong Honors Recital” highlights her contributions to the school. The “Margaret DeMan Armstrong Prize for Excellence,” established in 2001, provides an award to honor a deserving graduate who demonstrates a commitment to community service and love of the arts.While Armstrong was the leader for bringing arts to Baltimore City’s Public School children, she also worked as a volunteer with many boards and committees. She created the first International Exchange Program between educators in the Baltimore City Public Schools and educators in Gbarnga, Liberia. She advocated for cultural institutions to be responsive to the needs of African-American children and families who would not be able to afford to attend many of the premiere cultural events in the city. In 1992, Armstrong was a member of the task force that undertook a feasibility study to determine the possibility of creating a middle school for Baltimore City youths. In 1993, the Saint Ignatius Loyola Academy opened as a tuition-free, private Jesuit school for middle school boys from low-income families. Armstrong is survived by her sister, Frances Ashby (daughter Cleo), her son, Roderick (wife Gloria), Barbara Blount Armstrong (daughter-in-law), grandsons, Mario (wife Nicole) and Sean, and a cherished great-grandson, Christopher. She is predeceased by her oldest son, William and her youngest son, Carroll. Armstrong is also survived by cousins Ruth and Kim McCalla, as well as other relatives and friends. Public viewing will be held from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. July 28 at March Family Life Tribute Center, 5616 Old Court Rd., Baltimore, Maryland. The funeral will take place 11 a.m. July 29 at Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, 5200 N. Charles St., Baltimore, Maryland, with viewing from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.In lieu of flowers, contributions in Margaret’s honor can be sent to the Baltimore School for the Arts.Attn: Development OfficeBaltimore School for the Arts Foundation‪712 Cathedral Street‪Baltimore, MD 21201read more

Kolkata: With a steady decline in audio CD sales in recent years, a leading music label has decided to use the digital media to launch a large collection of Rabindra Sangeet numbers, this Bengali New Year. Popular songs by late Rabindra Sangeet exponent Debrata Biswas would be posted on the platform, Mahua Lahiri said on behalf of Asha Audio.”Today’s generation is more adaptive to the digital medium and we can also include a large number of songs in a chip. This is our ‘Bangla Nababarsho’ gift for the Tagore lovers. It is named ‘Relive the Baritone Magic – 24 Carat Gold’ by Debabrata Biswas,” Lahiri said. Also Read – Heavy rain hits traffic, flightsWith the emergence of digital media, audiences cutting across age groups are hooked to the new medium, and so 500 timeless tracks by Biswas were loaded on a 16 GB memory card/music card, Lahiri said.The music label has already launched another composition called ‘Sajani Sajani’ – a compilation of Tagore songs by Debojyoti Mishra and Debalina Ghosh – on YouTube, she said.The company has earlier launched music of different genres on the digital platform – from ‘Babul More & Sab Loke Koy’ by Iman and Shovan, ‘Shiva Stotram Kal-Bhairab’ by Pt. Also Read – Speeding Jaguar crashes into Merc, 2 B’deshi bystanders killedTanmoy Bose and Jayati, ‘Labanye Purno Pran’ by Soumyajit-Sourendro among others. The company is also about to launch a music video of modern Bengali songs by Kumar Sanu. “The Album called ‘Ganga Tumi’ will have latest Bengali songs,” Lahiri said. However, keeping in mind the loyal audio CD listeners, Times Music has also launched ‘Anuraager Gaan’ with songs by Haimanti Shukla, Anwesshaa, Raghab Chatterjee and others. According to industry estimates, there has been 80 percent decline in audio CD releases over the past four to five years.read more

2 min read Attend this free webinar and learn how you can maximize efficiency while getting the most critical things done right. Register Now » August 22, 2014 Free Webinar | Sept 5: Tips and Tools for Making Progress Toward Important Goals Keeping hungry lions from attacking farm animals in rural Africa — or anywhere — is no easy feat, especially in the dark. Bright light helps keep the fierce predators at bay, something that’s hard to come by after the sun goes down and you live way off the grid.Many people in remote, impoverished areas of Africa curb lion attacks at night using old-fashioned kerosene lamps. Often, they walk for miles to buy the expensive fossil fuel, which belches poisonous fumes when burned. In the short term, breathing the toxic exhaust causes dizziness and nausea. In the long, it can lead to blood clots that can damage the heart, brain, kidneys and other organs.Clearly, kerosene lamps aren’t an ideal means of fending off the mighty Panthera leo.Related: A Bright Forecast for a Solar Panel Installation FranchiseM-KOPA Solar, a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-backed company based out of Nairobi, Kenya, offers a safer, cleaner and greener solution: a portable solar-powered lighting system that reportedly wards off the big cats.The lightweight solar lighting system — outfitted with a 4-watt solar panel, a USB multi-mobile phone charger, and three brightness-adjustable lights — highlights big changes on the horizon for people in the rural areas of the world’s second-largest continent. Namely, the proliferation of technology in regions where billions struggle to simply survive and our iPhones and Pebbles seem useless.The M-KOPA Solar technology may be more affordable than kerosene, but it’s still not inexpensive for those who need it most.Related: This Night Light Inventor Raised a Quarter Million on KickstarterM-KOPA customers pay 40 Kenyan shillings (about 45 cents) per day to use it, after making a 2,500-shilling ($28.38) deposit. That’s relatively steep, considering that most households in Kenya earn less than $2 per day, according to M-KOPA.Pay-as-you go payments are processed via an embedded mobile SIM card, which, unfortunately, M-KOPA can use to remotely kill the lights if a customer falls behind on payments.For this much-needed technology to reach widespread adoption in East Africa and beyond, the price has to go down. For now, only those who can afford it reap its benefits.Related: Samsung’s Bluetooth-Only ‘Smart Bulb’ Is a Bit Dimread more